8221 Sunset Blvd.,
Hollywood: the Chateau
Marmonthotel, Bungalow #2: where comedian/actorJohn Belushidied of an overdose of
heroin and cocaine on March 5,1982, at the age of 33. Belushi had been
a regular on TV's "Saturday Night Live," then went on
to star in movies such as "Animal House" and "The
Blues Brothers."

2101 S. Gramercy
Place, Los Angeles: the family home where
singer Marvin Gaye
("I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Let's Get
It On") was shot to death by his minister father, Marvin Gaye
Sr., during an argument at their home in April 1984. The father pleaded
guilty to voluntary manslaughter, but received only five years' probation.

10881 Clarkson Road,
West Los Angeles: the two story home where
"Star
80" centerfold Dorothy Stratten
was murdered on August 14, 1980 by her jealous husband after he learned
of her relationship with director Peter Bogdanovich ("The Last
Picture Show"). It's located just northwest of where Westwood
Blvd. meets the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, just three blocks south of the
Westside Pavilion mall.

In Basin C-1100 of
Marina del Rey: where "Beach Boys"
drummer, Dennis Wilson,
died (at age 39) in a drowning accident off a friend's boat, on Dec. 28,
1983. With his brothers and Mike Love, Dennis helped the Beach Boys turn
out such hits as "California Girls," "Fun,
Fun, Fun" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."

535 Ocean Avenue,
Santa Monica: actor William Holden
(star of "Sunset Boulevard" and "Network")
was found dead in his apartment on the fifth floor of the Shorecliff
Towers in Santa Monica in 1981. He had been drinking, and apparently
fell, struck his head on an end table, and bled to death. Ironically, this
apartment building, about a mile and a half north of the Santa Monica Pier,
overlooks the former beach homes of such celebrities asPeter Lawford and Marion Davies.

8723
Rangely Ave., West Hollywood: the home
of 22-year-old actress Dominique Dunne,
who played the older sister, 'Dana', in the "Poltergeist."
movies; she was murdered here by her estranged boyfriend on Oct. 30, 1982.
A chef at the popular restaurant Ma Maison, John Sweeney became abusive,
and when Dominique ended the relationship, he came to her home and strangled
her in the driveway of the house. She died several days later at Cedars-Sinai.
Her father, author Dominick Dunne, later became an outspoken commentator
during the O.J. Simpson trial.

722 N. Elm Drive,
Beverly Hills: the site of the infamous
Menendez murders,
in August of 1989. Brothers Lyle &
Erik Menendez admitted that they murdered
their parents, Kitty & Jose Menendez, while the couple was watching
TV and eating ice cream, blowing them away with multiple shotgun blasts.
The juries in the first trials of their cases were deadlocked - but a new
jury found them both guilty of first degree murder. The murders were the
subject of two 1994 made-for-TV movies: "Menendez: A Killingin Beverly Hills" and "Honor Thy Father and Mother:
The True Story of the Menendez Murders."

The Spanish-style
house is located about a mile east of the famous Beverly
Hills Hotel, and was previously home to Michael Jackson,
Prince and
Elton John.

9402 Beverly Crest
Drive, in Beverly Hills: the home where
actor Rock Hudson
died in 1985. Hudson had starred with Doris Day in such comedies as "Pillow Talk,"
and as Commissioner McMillan on TV's "McMillan & Wife."
He was the first major star to die of AIDS.

8433 Harold Way,
West Hollywood (about three blocks east of La Cienega Blvd., just above
the House of Blues): pianist and master
showman Liberace died
of AIDS in Palm Springs in 1987, but he lived at this home above the Sunset
Strip for almost 20 years. His death, along with Rock Hudson's, helped
bring the disease to the attention of the public.

The Esplanade at
Sapphire Street, in Redondo Beach (just south of the Redondo Beach
Pier): Mötley Crüe
memberVince Neil
had been partying at his beach home for three days, when he
decided to make a run to a local liquor store for more booze.
Joined by Nicholas ‘Razzle’ Dingley
(a member of the Finnish punk band "Hanoi
Rocks"), Neil was heading back home with
a couple hundred dollars of beer and alcohol in the car - and a personal
blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit. He swerved around a parked
fire truck, lost control of his red '72 Ford Pantera, and ended up on the
wrong side of the road, where his car smashed into a white Volkswagon.
His passenger, 'Razzle' Dingley, was killed. A young man in the Volkswagon
was left with brain damage and paralysis. Neil escaped with minor injuries,
and was arrested for vehicular manslaughter. Amazingly, he got off with
just a 30-day jail sentence, to be served after finishing a rock tour.

625 Orange Drive,
Hollywood:Tim
Hardin, the singer/songwriter who wrote
Rod Stewart's "Reason to Believe" and "If I Were
A Carpenter" and performed at Woodstock, died of a drug overdose
in this Hollywood apartment on Dec. 29, 1980.

* locations marked by an asterisk could be located in a
high-crime district. Exercise reasonable caution.

This webpage is not associated with any business
described in the article above, and does not constitute an
endorsement of this or any other business. The photos of celebrities on
this page also do not constitute
endorsements by them of any kind, and are used by the author solely to
illustrate this online article.(Click here to read
other disclaimers)